


The Golden Archer

by First_Duchess



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Canonical Character Death, Dwarves, Elf/Human Relationship(s), Elves, Halflings, I took D&D WoW Skyrim and anything else I could think of and just threw it in a giant pot, M/M, Magic, Slow Burn, So there's going to be a lot of things mixed up, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-10-03 20:27:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20458979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/First_Duchess/pseuds/First_Duchess
Summary: Making rounds through the land to locate an estranged Van Hohenheim,  fire mage Roy Mustang and assassin Maes Hughes finally get a tip that he once resided in the melting pot of races village by the name of Resembool. They had expected a dead end, to be led into a trap, or possibly murdered along their journey, but nothing could have prepared them with meeting the Golden Archer. As Roy starts getting involved with a mystery that had occurred in the village years prior, he slowly toys with the idea that maybe, just maybe, Riza was right about fate all along.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea what I'm doing.
> 
> This was inspired by a wood elf drawing I did in a Roy/Ed week discord, followed by some fantasy!au discourse.
> 
> This is mostly just to explain Edward and Alphonse's past, i.e. the death of Trisha, Ed losing his limbs. In this chapter, Edward is 11 and Alphonse is 10. The next chapter will be in the present of the story, where Edward is 18 and Alphonse is 17.
> 
> Let's see how this goes.

The one thing that Edward could really remember was the  _ heat _ . 

It was hot, stifling, and violating. 

The colors painted along the wall were beautiful tones of red and orange and yellow, but they were hidden and disguised by the smog. 

His house was on fire. 

Ed immediately rolled out of his bed to the floor, desperately trying to shovel oxygen into his lungs while blinking away the incessant burning in his eyes. He was thankful that the fire was creeping up on the side of his room where the door wasn’t located, and he promptly scurried over to the door, hovering his hand over the door knob to make sure it hadn’t been compromised by any fire, and he opened the door.

Sadly, the rest of the house was worse for wear. He stood, trying to squint through flames and smoke as he yelled out to his mother and brother. Ed yelped as a support beam crashed down through the wall, and he dove to the floor to avoid getting crushed by it. As he looked up through his bangs, he saw his dearest brother Al across the hall in his room. Flames were creeping their way around to him. He was shaking, teeth chattering, eyes wide and tears down his face.

“Alphonse!” Edward yelled worriedly, crawling down the hall. It was so hot,  _ too _ hot, and he thought he was going to pass out. Eventually, he reached the door frame, “Al! We gotta get out! What are you doing?!”

“I-I woke up a-and ran to mom’s room...a-and…” Ed heard his brother as he let out a painful wail, and he looked over to his mother’s bedroom. His blood ran out of his face as he saw the flames dancing in the doorway, completely obstructing any and every view into the room. Parts of the wall were tarnishing black, cracking and falling away, just like the wall in his brother’s room. Said brother cried out, having to move off the bed to avoid getting burned by the collapsing wall.

“Alphonse!” Edward got up, frantic and no longer caring about his own wellbeing. His baby brother was terrified and he needed help. “Al, come on! We have to get out!”

“I’m not leaving without mom!” Came a shriek of a reply, torn apart from tears and frustration, and Ed’s adrenaline caused him to heave his brother off the floor anyway, dragging him down the hallway.

“I’m not losing you, Al!” Edward yelled over his shoulder, pulling him around bits of the house that was engulfed in flames. Picture frames were singed and destroyed, figurines melting like wax from a candle, furniture crackling and collapsing. The photo of Edward and Alphonse’s first day at the elven academy, their mother beaming with pride and happiness, caught his attention, and tears finally decided to make their way out. When Alphonse began coughing violently, Edward removed his own sleep shirt to give to Al to cover his face, realizing that the heat from the nearby flames really was borderline intolerable, “Breathe through this, and let me guide you!”

The further they got down the hallway, the longer it seemed, until Ed saw the front entrance. It was molten red, angry and dangerous, and Edward quickly looked around for another exit. Another beam came from above them, causing Alphonse to scream terribly loud, and at that moment Ed’s eyes locked on the front room window. He grabbed something off the table and chucked it, causing the glass to shatter. Ed frantically pulled Al behind him then used his own elbow to smash out the glass. More crashing came from behind them, which sent Ed into a frenzy, until he eventually made the opening passable enough for him to shove Alphonse through it.

As soon as Al fell onto the ground, he jumped up and took off running, crying and screaming for someone to help. Granny Pinako, Winry,  _ somebody _ . He ran towards the bell in their front yard and yanked it, hoping to see some lights flash on within houses in their village. A couple of demanding rings later, lights began scattering across the fields. The Rockbell’s were the closest home, and he saw Granny Pinako open her window before immediately hurrying away. Another nearby house also responded and upon seeing the circumstance, rushed out immediately to their well to get water. Soon enough, yells and cries were heard across the land, and people were scurrying in order to assist.

Alphonse turned around, horror crossing his features as he saw his childhood home falling apart from the inside out, Edward was making his way through the window and fell to the ground himself. Right when Ed got to his feet, he heard his brother’s cries.

“Ed,  _ move _ !”

He heard it before he turned, and as he did, half of that wall he just climbed through came falling in his direction. Ed couldn’t move fast enough.

  
The one thing that Edward could really remember was the  _ heat _ crackling and marking his leg, wrapping it up in painful kisses and intense misery, causing his voice to go hoarse from the feeling, and the world went black right after.


	2. Welcome to the Inn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy was going to die today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okiedokie now to get to some actual content for this story !
> 
> Some things to keep in mind here: for the sake of this story, certain character's locations have been changed to Resembool. Also, I'll be using Welsh (google translate style) for any Elvish spoken that needs to be included, simply because it was mentioned that Welsh was used for part of the Elven language in RuneScape.

“See, Roy, I told you this was the right way to go. You really need to have more faith in me.”

Roy didn't give Maes the humoring he was hoping for and instead settled for a small ‘hmmm’. Many weeks upon horseback had finally granted them the first sign of Resembool. A quaint village in a remote location east of main civilization, Resembool had become known as a melting pot of sorts. Elves of many descendants, dwarves, humans, and the occasional druids typically called Resembool their home. Here in this quiet paradise, there were no judgements or reservations about a race. Everyone was accepting of everybody and they made it their mission to welcome all with open, loving arms, and to teach them about all the intricate differences that made each of them unique.

Resembool was also the main trade supplier in the east. Between livestock, herbalists and smiths, the village provided a lot of products and work for those looking to gain apprenticeship or training in a particular profession. The same businesses also sent their goods to other smaller, less known places of residence, and some masters even made the trip personally to acquire some particularly rare crafts and goods. 

Roy had remembered learning about Resembool before the task that caused him to pay his visit currently. Even though a mage would not have much business travelling for supplies such as these, herbalism was still a thoughtful trade to take up in case of becoming an alchemist and brewing your own potions and poisons. And he was sure Maes could benefit from visiting the main smithers in the village. 

“You think he'll be here this time?”

Maes reined his horse to slow down, and he turned to his friend, smiling solemnly, “Well, we're kind of running out of options here, so I think this is as good of a hope as any. Besides, this is close to our rendezvous for Riza, so we can either head on through if it's a dud, or we can get in touch with her to make her way here if we decide to stick around.”

Roy nodded, feeling relief wash over him as what appeared to be an inn began to come into his line of sight. The sun was starting to set, his back and legs ached, and he was incredibly hungry. His clothes were dirty and sticking to him, and he desperately wanted a hot bath. 

Within a few short minutes, the pair made their way across a dirt path and up to the front steps of the inn. After conversing with an older gentleman who claimed to be the stable master, they exchanged some coin, unloaded their hoses and entered the inn.

It was a comfortable, warm establishment. Hanging chandeliers with candles dangled from the ceiling. A glorious fireplace stood front and center at the farthest wall, featuring a band playing jolly music off to its right. There were sturdy wooden tables and benches, some of which being occupied by some dwarven miners rewarding themselves for a day's hard work with mead. Young inn women made rounds, some even humoring a gentleman with a giggle or two as they tended to customers. At the inn’s front bar stood a burly woman, although beautiful in her own right. Her curly black locks were peppered with grays and she had a red sash to keep her bangs away from her face. Dark brown eyes, pursed lips and a square jaw set the tone for her commanding presence, coupled with her wide shoulders and chest. Yet she had a feminine flair, her top piece being a light cream color and cut to her breasts. An amused twinkle lit up her eyes as Roy and Maes made their way over. She leaned over the counter and folded her arms, pushing her chest up. 

“My my! What a pair of fine-looking lads you are, aye. Could I interest you in some hot pot and homemade mead to wash it all down?”

“I have to say, madam, that we are no better looking than you are,” Roy dripped smoothly, raking his fingers through his shiny black hair and smiling. He knew how to talk his way into free board.

The lady barked a laugh, “Hah! You might be cute but I ain't stupid. I'm twice your age honey. What can I do for you boys tonight?”

“A room with two beds and a hot meal sounds lovely,” Maes chimed politely. “We've been traveling for many weeks, stopping intermittently”.

“What brings you boys by here, then?”

“A need for information,” Roy smiled, “however, like my friend said, we are exhausted and would like to rest our tired minds and bodies.”

“For a price, of course,” the woman grinned. The men nodded, exchanging the proper amount of coin, and the woman bellowed across the inn in a language unknown to Roy. The woman turned back towards them, and Roy could tell there was a mischievous look in her eyes, “Have to admit I'm a bit short handed, so my regular girls are all too busy. My daughter is gonna lead y'all to your room. She ain’t the sweetest, but she’ll treat you right. Just come out when you're hungry!”

Roy and Maes nodded and turned their view to the woman who stepped out from the backroom behind the counter. The appearance of her versus her supposed mother was almost night and day in difference. Where her mother was short, she was slender and tall, and the strong jaw was more delicate. Her eyes were not as warm, nor soft, and were piercing and dark. She had pale skin like she dripped with moonlight and walked like she weighed nothing. Her hair was twisted into many braids, all coming together in a knot at the crown of her head and falling down to her neck. Her blouse had a high collar, but was by no means very modest, as it cut to a deep V to the middle of her chest, revealing a red tattoo on her left breast of a snake wrapped around a cross.

Maes elbowed him hard in the ribs, which must have meant he had been staring, and the woman gave a snicker, “Right this way.” Her voice was calm but held its ground, dripping in his ear drums, and Roy decided this woman was a good candidate for their investigation.

It was a few short strides to their room. The woman turned and nodded towards them both, handing them their key, “We have washrooms down the hall; our water is warm as it is brought in from hot springs that naturally occur in the area. I believe you will find great comfort in a warm bath. In those wash rooms are also barrels to wash your clothing if you should so desire.”

“Those are great services,” Roy purred, “but I was hoping you could provide a different service for us instead.” Maes gawked at his friend, immediately turning to frantically apologize.

The woman’s eyebrow twitched, and she gave a wry smile, answering cooly, “I’m afraid that neither myself nor any of our lovely workers provide such services. Perhaps you would find better luck at a brothel in the next town.”

Roy chuckled, “Actually, not quite what I had in mind, but that keeps me from asking another question.” As he reached into his side bag, he heard his friend slap his hand to his own forehead with a sigh. Roy fished out a picture of a man that had brought them to their location, and he showed it to the woman before them, “We are currently looking for this man. His name is Van Hohenheim, and we have received a tip that he once resided in this village. Would you by chance happen to know of this man or his whereabouts?”

Something flashed across the woman’s face, but it was quickly replaced by a mask. It was easy enough to tell that’s what it was, for she quickly changed her tone, “I am afraid not, I am sorry to say. Many people come and go in a village such as this. Please, make yourselves comfortable, and by no means feel troubled by asking for a meal. We hope you enjoy your stay.” She turned and walked down the hall, stopping and turning her head, “If you need assistance, I am Izumi.”

After she had rounded the corner, Maes gave Roy a puzzled look, “Why did you ask her about him?”

“You’re the most skilled intelligence collector yet you don’t understand that?” He eyed his friend, raising a brow. “The daughter of an inn keeper would, as she said, see many people come and go through the area, and thus live here as such. She is lying.”

“And how’s that, Mr. Smart Guy?”

“This inn has been here for twenty-five years and has never changed ownership. As we both know, our tip is actual paper documentation stating that he had residence here. That means that woman has indeed met, if not personally does know, Van Hohenheim.”

Maes gave a low whistle, “Who knew you could do more than just yell and throw fireballs at enemies.”

“And who knew half the things you say are equivalent to what is found in a dirty barn stall.”

Maes laughed, slapping his friend on the back playfully, “C’mon, let’s get a bath and a hot meal. I don’t want to infringe anymore upon any other guests or workers here by looking and _smelling_ the way we do. We’ll get a start on asking around bright and early tomorrow morning.”

After discarding their belongings and shuffling for clean clothes, the men made their way to the wash area. Roy was thankful for some token of privacy, even if it was just a shoddy wooden panel. Just because he _could_ bathe in sight of his best friend did not necessarily mean that he really wanted to. He stripped and entered the water, a happy sigh escaping as he sank into the water, letting the warmth melt into his aching muscles and tired bones. It had been quite some time since they had stayed at such a nice establishment such as this, and Roy silently hoped the search would keep them there for just a little bit longer than what was necessary. The water was just too delightful to pass up.

As it always does, tomorrow morning came early for the two men. The innkeeper was as boisterous and happy going as ever and was delighted to have an inn woman tend to them with a hot meal. Corned beef hash with eggs was the staple this morning, along with fresh scones with honey apple butter. All and all, the inn now resembled a homey bed and breakfast and not at all like the vibe it gave off the night before.

Roy and Maes paid their coin for another night's stay before setting off through the village, stopping at various individuals to ask for their insight on Hohenheim’s photo. The majority of the residents did not seem to recognize the man, but there were a few who bristled immediately and told them to go about their way. 

As they made their way through the village, Roy found that there were a few things out in the east that could not be found in the cities. First and foremost, there was a beast tamer of all things. Since Roy had grown up in more populated areas, he was less knowledgeable of trades that occurred in the country. The boy manning the post was young, and as such, the thought of showing him the photo in his pocket did not cross his mind. The boy stood tall and had broad shoulders, but he still had childhood features in his face. His eyes were a bright deep green, resembling a forest haven, and his hair was a warm sandy brown. It was a medium length, just barely touching his shoulders, and he had intricate braids coming from his ears and meeting in the middle of his head. His ears told Roy he was an elf of sorts, and his prior learning of elves told Roy that it was odd for an elf to be a beast tamer. 

Maes struck up a conversation with the boy in what Roy assumed to be elvish. Roy was safe to assume it was about the ferocious looking wolf at the boy's side. It was very large, teetering on a menacing appearance with its shaggy dark fur and glowing orange eyes, but it acted very affectionate towards its master. It even let Maes give it a few strokes through its fur. Maes had mentioned that the boy, who was named Alphonse, gave Roy the go ahead to pet the beast, but he declined. Truthfully, the mouth full of sharp teeth terrified him terribly. 

Travelling along the stone path and some young children playing in a village school yard eventually led them both to a shop by the name of Rockbell Smithing. It was a generously sized yellow home, and on its porch sat a small, elderly woman. Her lavender tinted hair was wrapped in a tight bun and she was smoking from a gorgeously crafted pipe. Her eyes were hidden behind thick lensed glasses on wire frames. 

“You know,” Roy started off as he stepped up to the porch as Maes was greeted by her dog, “I do believe that smoking isn't the best for your health.”

The woman let out a long drag of smoke before speaking, “Boy, there's a lot of things that could kill me. Might as well die by something I enjoy. What can I do for you? My granddaughter is out at the shops picking up feed for the animals, but I can still take an order.”

“That won't be necessary. Actually, I was wondering if you knew of this man or his whereabouts.” Roy showed the woman the photo, and she abruptly stood, swearing in dwarvish before retreating inside her home and slamming the door shut. She later returned, taking a deep breath before speaking. 

“I apologize for my reaction. Yes, I do know Hohenheim, but I haven't seen him in going on ten years now, and I haven't heard from him either. I'm sorry I'm not of much help to you.”

“No problem!” Maes chirped happily, “Say, do you have any examples of your craftsmanship? I'm in need of a new dagger and was wanting to browse your wares.” The woman nodded, inviting them both in. Roy declined, offering up that he had no need to browse weaponry, and instead chose to walk on through the village. He had to admit there was a charm to the area. He could hear birds chirping, squirrels rummaging along the ground, and there was what appeared to be never-ending joy. Resembool was a bright and cheery place.

Eventually Roy came to a tree line with a dirty path which was lined with thick brush, and as he stepped past it, he heard a small whirring sound that caught his attention. He paused, then heard the noise again, so he decided to follow the path and let his ears guide him to the noise. Within a few minutes, he came upon a clearing, and found the origin of that oddly placed noise. 

It was honestly as if the boy had been bestowed upon the earth by the sun itself, considering how the rays were bleeding through the canopy and lighting up his hair like fireflies in the night. Golden yellow tresses were wrapped in a loose braid that was adorned with flowers and threaded with beads. The braid was lush, trailing down to its owner's waist. He was not very broad, and was actually quite lean, though Roy could see the tone and definition of the boy's arm as he drew an arrow before letting it fly, hitting a target dead center like two others next to it. He was clad in what appeared to be leather armor, dark in color and sewed pristinely together. His bottom half had a thick fabric wrapped loosely around himself and down to above his knees, and his feet were clad in leather boots. 

Among his musings, Roy stepped on a twig, making it snap. The boy whipped at the sound, arrow flying before Roy could blink, and the arrow went right past his ear and into the tree behind him. The blonde elf readied another arrow, giving the man a look that said that he missed on purpose, and next time he wouldn't. 

Roy held up his hands, which were trembling slightly because he almost _died_, “I'm sorry to have startled you.” The boy kept his bow taught as he slowly stepped closer, “I heard a weird noise, so I came looking. I have to say, you are an excellent marksman.” Roy gestured towards the targets on the trees. “I'm very glad you chose not to kill me.” 

The young man did not speak but lowered his bow all the same and removed his arrow. Now that the weapon was out of the way, Roy could fully see a slim face with sun kissed skin and a dusting of freckles across the nose. His eyes were the same color as his hair, and it puzzled Roy to no end. It was like this boy was a god incarnate with his sharp features. His bangs framed his face perfectly. He was built, albeit appearing slim, and he was _quite_ short. A glint of metal caught Roy's eye, and he was surprised to see that the elf before him had a false arm. 

The boy also, eerily enough, slightly resembled Hohenheim. This revelation confused Roy simply because Maes had said the man’s file did not detail him having a wife, much less that he had fathered any children. Then again, the file for Riza had listed her as a halfling harpy for the longest time just because of her last name, so Roy supposed mistakes could be made everywhere.

Just as the boy sheathed his arrow in its quiver and put his bow across him, Roy stepped closer again, startling the blond and causing him to freeze where he stood. Roy gave a soft smile and pulled out that photo once again. “I was wondering if you--”

The boy let out what could have resembled a battle cry before charging Roy, knocking him flat to the ground and sending the air straight out of his lungs. The elf jumped him, straddling him quickly, pressing a dagger to his throat with his left hand and using his right to raise a dagger to his temple, nicking the skin and causing a small trickle of blood to run to his hair. 

The look in the boy's eye was _fierce. _It was commanding, oppressing, and angry and hot, like smoldering flames. But most of all, that look held something else. 

Pain.

He heard the boy mutter something in Elvish, barely above a whisper, but he didn't need to have a translation. The glare in his eyes and the press of cold steel under his chin was as good of a translation as any. 

“_Ble mae ef? Byddaf ladd fy hun._”

The way that voice trickled down Roy’s spine coupled with the weight on his body and the cold stare from those burning eyes caused his hair to stand on end.

Roy was going to die today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are so lovely!! I'm trying to be more descriptive in my writing. Sometimes I feel like I should use more flowery language and not just be so straightforward. but I'm trying;;!
> 
> I honestly truly just made up Izumi's mother because I didn't want to just make a random NPC.


	3. The Golden Archer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Why do you wear a skirt?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I am indeed alive. Went on vacation and being a teacher has me quite busy!
> 
> I've had this and chapter four on my google doc for some time now, but for some reason I can't get myself to get around to posting it???? Ah well.
> 
> It was brought to my attention last chapter that my google translate Welsh isn't the most accurate. Unfortunately I copy pasted that same line from last chapter into this chapter, which was supposed to be 'Where is he? I'll kill him myself.' but seems to have been 'I'll kill myself' instead. Whoopsie.
> 
> Enjoy the chapter sweetlings!

“Ble mae ef? Byddaf ladd fy hun.”

Time slowed as Roy racked his brain for a solution to the angry blond elf who straddled him heavily; despite his outward appearance, he was not light, and Roy had to garner it was due to his false arm. As the sunlight danced through the leaves, he discovered the elf had a false leg as well.

Roy could manage himself in hand-to-hand combat, but he was a mage, and as such he was more properly trained for fighting from a distance. He knew that even if he could manage to get the boy off of him, it would not be fast enough to keep the other from slicing him. He couldn’t speak a lick of Elvish (and Maes always told him to learn, but no, he hadn’t learned), so it wasn’t as if he could reason with the blond above him either. 

Rapid footsteps could be heard from above his head, followed by another voice speaking Elvish rapidly and frantically. Roy blinked, recalling the beastmaster from earlier, realizing it was his voice speaking to the one seated on top of him. After a couple exchanges of him supposedly calming down the angrier one, said angry elf sheathed his weapons and was all but yanked off by the taller elf, then promptly dragged away to a tree where the taller one was (from what Roy could tell) scolding him.

“How is it that I leave you alone for five damn minutes and you get yourself into trouble?” Maes chided as he helped Roy to his feet.

Roy shrugged, dusting himself off, “My own fault I guess. Trouble finds me since I seem to go looking for it.”

“What’d you do anyway? He seems pretty pissed off.” Loud shouting could be heard from the pair of elves.

“I showed him a picture of Hohenheim, maybe hoping for a fluke,” Roy sighed, shaking his head. “I don’t really know what the kid’s problem was.”

Maes gave him a confused look. “Wait, you don’t know who that is?”

“What in the ever-loving hell is that supposed to mean?”

"You surely can't be serious, can you?" Roy offered Maes a look of confusion, and his friend gave a heavy sigh. "That's not just some kid. That's Edward Elric, only the best wood-elven archer in the land, a descendant from the royal country of Xerxes. They don't call him the 'Golden Archer' for nothing." Maes nodded towards the taller elf, “And that’s apparently his younger brother, Alphonse.”

Roy looked back over at the two, noticing some similarities. They had similar facial features, although Alphonse had a more rounded face and Edward’s was sharper. He couldn’t believe that this small elf was a legendary marksman of that caliber, to be known across the lands.

The blond in question whipped his head quickly, glaring menacingly at the man, “Beth yn union a ddywedasoch?”

Oh shit, Roy thought, I said that outloud.

Maes laughed heartily, doubling over, “Oh my heavens, Roy, you’re such an idiot.” The younger brother was busy restraining the blond, and Roy was sure if given the chance, Edward would spear him right in the mouth with one of those arrows.

Or, more likely, with all of them.

Alphonse eventually convinced him to calm down and walked over towards them, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, “I’m sorry about him. He’s a bit hard-headed and has a quick fuse.”

Wait a fucking second.

“You can speak mainland?” Roy stood there dumbfounded and Maes just gave him a look that said Did you really just ask that.

Before Alphonse could reply, Edward snorted, “What, you think just because we’re small townsfolk that we’re a bunch of non-lingual dummies?”

“No. Earlier, my friend Maes was speaking to your brother in Elvish, so I assumed--”

“It’s just something mom always said,” Alphonse said, blushing softly. “She said to not speak to those who approach us speaking mainland, unless introduced to us by someone we know. For some reason, someone who can speak our tongue to us right at the beginning appears more trustworthy as opposed to the other. That’s why I carried on that conversation in Elvish, and to be fair, I was not aware you did not understand.”

“He’s as dumb as he looks,” Edward mused, receiving a hiss from his brother and a hoot of laughter from Maes. 

“Oh man, if I knew this was going to be such a wild ride I would have mentioned trying out Resembool forever ago.” Maes was wheezing with amusement, and it took everything in Roy to not singe his friend’s hair off his face.

“Coming here for what?” 

“They’re looking for him, Al,” Edward spat begrudgingly. “Wonder what kind of bullshit our sperm donor got into this time.”

“That’s not a nice way to speak about our dad, you know.”

“Wait, what?” Maes blinked, looking at Roy then Edward and back, “Did you know that?”

“To be honest, no. I went on a limb based on his features, toying with the idea that maybe he could resemble the man in question in his younger years.”

“What, so you were staring me down? Checking me out? What a fucking creep you are.” Edward mumbled, although a slight tinge of pink came to the tops of his cheeks.

“Sorry, but I don’t consider myself a pedophile.”

“I’m eighteen you fucking nitwit, and probably have the mental capacity of someone twice your age you old coot.”

Roy felt his eyebrow twitch and Maes was cackling, “Man I like this guy. Say, Roy, you need a friend like this. I’m too nice to you.”

“Me breathing the same oxygen as he does is already too nice for him,” Edward glared towards Roy, “I don’t know what y’all want with that bastard of a ‘father’, but we haven’t seen him in years and quite frankly, I don’t care to, either. If you do end up finding him, give him my regards of hoping for a slow and painful death for his stupid ass.” Edward pushed between Roy and Maes, brushing against Roy slightly, and Roy noticed he smelled like the forest, like springwater and pine.

Alphonse took a few steps, calling out to his brother, then sighed as he shook his head, “I’m really sorry about him. He...he is a lot more sensitive on the topic of our dad than I am, I think. A lot more angry anyway, that’s for sure.”

“See, I’m confused,” Maes said softly. “Nowhere did any of our information state that Van Hohenheim had children.”

Alphonse smiled sadly, “Mom said he insisted we keep her last name instead of taking his, so that might be why. I guess if he ever got into trouble, at least nobody would be able to backtrack and get ahold of us.”

Roy nodded solemnly, “Would it be possible to speak to your mother on the matter?”

The elven boy froze, sadness crossing his features, “Actually, no. She is no longer with us.”

“Oh,” Roy started, “I’m sorry--”

“It’s fine,” Al waved his hand. “There would be no reason for you to know. I think that’s why Ed is so particularly angry with him. He left a couple of years before we lost mom and I think he blames him for not being around when she died. Our house...it caught on fire in the middle of the night. I actually woke up first, but after seeing mom’s room completely engulfed I...I went back to my room until Edward eventually got me out. I was too terrified to move, and I didn’t want to leave her in there, but looking back I already knew she...she wasn’t alive by that point.” Al fiddled with his sleeve, “He broke a window and shoved me out, and by the time he got through it himself, half the wall came down on top of him. It burnt his leg pretty terribly and it had to be amputated. His arm got sliced from the window and ended up getting infected, so it had to be amputated too. I think Ed blames our dad in some roundabout way for everything that’s happened.”

“That...that must have been a lot for you both, at such a young age.”

“Yeah,” Al smiled grimly, then perked up. “But! It’s not all too terrible. The Rockbell’s took us in and they’re so lovely. That’s actually how I ended up out here with your friend. I came by to ask Granny Pinako something and he was walking out when I heard Ed yell like he did.”

Roy nodded, “Thank you for your information, Alphonse. I’m beyond sorry to hear about the early passing of your mother. I can tell just from these brief moments that she made the most of her life on earth by raising you so wonderfully well.”

Alphonse turned beet red and tears came to his eyes, “I-I gotta go, bye!” He took off running, dust coming up in his wake, and Maes clicked his tongue.

“So, what do you suggest we do now?”  
Roy shrugged, dusting remnants of dirt off himself, “I’m going to see if I can find Edward and apologize.”

“That’s out of character of you. Did him mentioning he was eighteen strike a chord?”

“I’m going to skin you, Maes, and keep you alive so you can witness the whole affair.”

The two made their way back out of the dense making of trees, passing by a short blond woman in front of the Rockbell Smithing. Actually, Edward was barely taller than she was. She looked at Maes and smiled.

“Hey! My granny said you wanted an order filled. Twas wondering if you could swing in and give me an idea of what ya want?”

Roy gawked. This was the main smither at this shop? This town was full of it he was sure. The woman gave him an odd look, “What’s with your friend. He’s looking at me like a fish.”

“Sorry!” Maes apologized quickly, slapping Roy so hard on the back, he thought he was going to fall over. “My friend is from a very populated area and isn’t so well educated about other races. Where he’s from, it’s not very common to see halflings.”

The woman’s brows furrowed, “And who’s to say I’m a halfling?”

“Your grandmother mentioned it.”

The woman sighed, “I dunno why she gotta do that. Ye, alright, it’s true.” She looked over at Roy, “You look like a guppy on dry land. Close ya mouth. Not my problem you don’t see a dwarf-human around your parts.”

“My apologies,” Roy rushed out. “I don’t mean to be rude.”

“Nah, you’re not rude. Maybe a bit dumb, but that’s not your fault.” She waved her hand flippantly and Maes snickered. “Anyway, I’m Winry, call me Win for short if ya like. Mr. Maes, can you come in and gimme details on the blade you want done?”

“Sure can!” Maes beamed. “Drop the formalities, though. I’m not quite that old. At least, I don’t look it do I?”

“Old as dirt if you ask me,” Roy mumbled, and Maes glared at his friend before following Winry into the shop. Roy sighed heavily, looking around the village. It was beginning to be lunch time and more people were populating the middle town area, going through shops or getting errands completed for the day. He found a wheel cart with freshly baked loaves of bread and bought a few, walking out away from the center of Resembool and down an uneven stone path. It ended up leading him to a river, and beside it was a blond elf skipping rocks.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” Roy started, causing the blond to jump up and reach for his bow before huffing in annoyance and sitting back down.

“Why ya gotta be sorry for? Not my fault you’re an idiot.”’

Roy frowned, walking over and sitting a few feet away, “Then consider me sorry for being an idiot.” He handed Edward one of the loaves of bread and Ed eyed him suspiciously before taking it and ripping part of it off, putting it in his mouth and chewing. 

Maybe food was a good peace offering.

The trickle of the water and wind through the trees filled the comfortable silence that occurred for a few minutes, up until Edward spoke. “So, why you out for him?”

It took Roy a few quick seconds to figure out who he was speaking of, “Some questioning on an event that transpired out west, towards the center of the country. To be quite honest, I have little intel. My buddy Maes is the information ringleader of sorts.”

Edward nodded, and another long minute of silence went by before Roy continued, “Your brother told me about your past, and I am sorry to hear of such awful circumstances.”

The elf flinched, narrowing his eyes, “I don’t want your damn pity.”

“Quite the contrary,” Roy said with a soft smile. “Merely making conversation.”

Edward snorted, “You’d think they’d teach ya how to hold conversation at wizard school or something.”

“It’s not wizard school, it’s the Mage Academy and--”

“Yep, wizard school,” Edward replied, taking a bite out of his bread and Roy just heaved a sigh, followed by giving the blond an incredulous look. He opened his mouth to speak but he was caught off, “I could tell from the smell of your clothes. Reminds me of tinder and flint.”

Roy mulled the information over, “Fair enough, I suppose. Though I couldn’t say the same about being able to tell you were the Golden Archer. My friend thinks I’ve lived under a rock it seems.”

Edward shrugged, “I don’t understand where the name came from, really. I was at Liore, a village further east of here, and some bandits ransacked late at night. I was able to pin a majority of them to trees or to the ground and ended up being hailed a ‘hero’ or something, so they coined that term for me. Honestly, I don’t think I did anything spectacular. I just did what I thought should have been done.”

“You’re telling me you saved a village the size of Liore from bandits, yet you’re not a hero? Are we sure I’m the idiot here?”

“Yeah, pretty sure,” Edward answered gruffly, standing and stretching. Roy caught a glimpse of tan skin between his leather armor and the thick fabric at his waist, and he held his gaze there a lot longer than he wanted to admit.

Speaking of which.

“Why do you wear a skirt?”

Next thing Roy knew, he was heaved by his clothing up off the grass and thrown into the river, which thanks to the time of year, it was not very warm at all. He gasped for air and flailed to a rock to hang onto, glaring angrily at the blond, “Hey! What the hell was that for?”

“It’s not a skirt, you socially-inept toad. It’s a kilt. Yes, there’s a difference. And no, I’m not naked beneath it. Get out of the water you fool, you’re probably useless when wet.” Edward snickered and turned, bending to pick up his bow and quiver and then walking up the hill.

Roy quickly sucked in a breath. He told himself it was because the water was absolutely frigid, but truthfully, it was because that kilt was an appealing article of clothing for the elf to be wearing, especially when he bent over. Once he got his wits about him, he swam over to the river bank in a couple strokes and climbed out of the water. His white tunic was complete adhered to his frame, as was his breeches, and the wind made goosebumps flare along his skin. 

He shook his bangs from his eyes and looked up, surprised to see the elf still at the top of the hill. His face was dark shade of crimson, which complemented and contrasted the golden hues of his hair quite nicely. It somehow deepened once Roy caught his eye and Edward turned and hastily made his way back towards the village. Roy felt himself grin despite his chill.

It seemed the elf had interest in the male form, and Roy would eventually take it and run to the hills with it, he was sure. 

By the time he made it back to the inn, Roy was chilled to the bone and was desperate for a hot bath. Upon entering his shared room, Maes was sitting on his bed with his eyes glued to a roll of parchment. Instead of asking of its contents, he simply walked over and peered over. On the parchment was a beautiful sketch of an elegant dagger with immaculate details and scribbled dwarvish out to the side. 

Roy gave a low whistle, “Impressive.”

Maes nodded in agreement, “Sure is. Gonna be crafted with some fine Drachman steel. Said it'll take at least a week since she has some other orders in the process of getting finished.” He removed his spectacles, rubbing his eyes, “So how do you think we should fill our time?”

Roy shrugged, walking to retrieve other clothes, “I kind of want to look into their house burning down years ago.”

“Why's that?”

“On my way back up here to get a dry clothes, I asked an elderly man about the affair. He said that they couldn't figure out how the fire started, and that it truly didn't seem like some freak accident.”

Maes furrowed his brows together and looked up, “The hell? You look like a drowned cat.”

“I feel like one, too. Edward threw me into the river after I made a comment on his outfit.”

“Let me guess, you called it a skirt.”

Roy's face flushed with embarrassment and Maes chuckled, “I'm so glad you're making a great relationship with the elven boy.”

A tap tap was heard on the window, interrupting their conversation. A beautiful hawk stood along the outer frame, parchment tied neatly to a leg. Roy moved to the window and opened it, letting the bird hop in and over to the desk with a squawk. Roy saw the identification band as he removed the parchment.

“It's Riza’s,” Roy muttered in confirmation as he glossed over the content of the parchment. “She says the rendezvous point is a bust and to not bother coming. She'll make her way through the other towns and be here by the end of the week.”

Maes cocked his head as Roy looked for materials to respond with, “How did she know we were here? A lucky guess?”

“Probably kept track of our timing. Technically we should have been here a few days ago if it wasn't for that horrid rainfall. She's probably hoping we haven't left yet, and since this is the only inn here, she assumed we were staying at it.” Roy quickly wrote a reply and rolled the parchment up, securing it to the hawk's leg. “Forgive me, but I do not have a mouse in my pocket to reward you. I left a note for your mother to give you one on my behalf.” The hawk eyed him incredulously, almost in judgement for not getting a treat for a job well done, and then Roy opened the window, letting him out and watching him take flight into the skies above them. 

“Oh, by the way,” Maes started as he stood to stretch, “Madam Rockbell offered supper for us tonight. Apparently I made a good impression with my swell manners and fluent dwarvish.”

“Well aren't you just the cream of the crop.”

“I'm letting you know so you can get a move on with your outfit change. You take forever when you know we have somewhere important to be.”

“And why would I deem this so terribly important?”

Maes smirked, a knowing glint in his eyes, “The Elrics will be there as well.” 

“Ah, very well then. I'll be about my way.”

“Eager, aren't you?” Maes responded playfully. 

Roy rolled his eyes, “Please, Maes. It's simply convenient in regards to our interest. You don't think me to be that simple minded do you?” The look he received told him that yes, his dearest friend did indeed believe him to be that simple minded, and he huffed. “Maes, I'm not going to go screwing up--”

“You mean screwing around?”

“--any body's life, mine included, or our chances of getting what we need to know. Besides, I don't know about you, but the vibe I got from him clearly says he doesn't like me that much.”

“The vibe I got from him said he was taking an interest in your appearance, but hey,” Maes held up his hands, shaking his head, “believe what you like.”

Roy scowled at him and muttered about going off to the washroom. He was beyond cold at this point, since the chill was starting to settle into his bones, and he needed to get his head screwed on right in order to not completely ruin the night ahead.


End file.
